The Land of Skovva
The Land of Skovva is a wild country to the east of Ásaterra and the south of Treth. It is as diverse as its neighbours if not as sophisticated or developed, and it teems with life, if you know where to find it. Geography To understand the Skovvans, you must first understand their home. It is a harsh and unforgiving land, given to terrible winters and dull summers, yet fruitful enough for those who know how to exploit it and are willing to risk its many dangers. The north-western reaches of Skovva are dominated by wetland. Along the border with Ásaterra, Skovva is predominantly composed of swamps, forested wetland based along the banks of the River Dileann and its distributaries. Further east, swamp becomes marshland, trees becoming shrubs and grasses. It is common for eerie mists to roll across the marshes, so thick and chilling that many an unwary traveller has met their death in unseen boggy marshland. Although the northern and western reaches are dominated by marshes and dank forests, but relatively fertile areas can be found here and there, and settlements have sprung up accordingly, built by the so-called Marchers. Bundles of wooden houses on stilts loom next to the river, connected by wicker bridges, clinging to it for dear life. With the swamps providing little in the way of food, and harbouring both disease and dangerous creatures, these villages survive through trading with merchants from Treth and Ásaterra. A surprisingly lucrative trade exists in bringing furs, fish, and lumber from Skovva to the warmer north; those who work this trade rely on the swamp villagers to give them shelter on their journey and, moreover, to supply them with alchemical ingredients and herbs. Skovvans typically have little need for such frivolous luxuries, but there are tales of hermits in the swamps who have grasped the arts of healing and poisoning with a talent rarely seen outside of the academies of Treth. Central Skovva is comprised of rolling plains, covered by Arctic tundra. Bitter winds whip across the wide open expanses, and in summer the rising temperatures thaw the frozen ground, adding to the already plentiful Skovvan marshes. The plains continue towards the eastern border, where there is relief from the cold due to the volcanic terrain. The tundra is shot through with hot springs, bubbling hot pools and the occasional geyser. At the eastern border, the seemingly endless flatlands are interrupted by a sharp rise in the terrain. An arc of Volcanoes mark the division between Skovva and the wastes which stretch away into the East, desolate, ash covered lands where very few dare to go. The plains are the harshest of all the regions of Skovva; wind speeds can reach up to 60 mph, whilst temperatures can drop to -50°C. They lacks the rivers of the north, or the sea of the south, and are not close to civilization in the form of Ásaterra as the west is; however it still is populated, almost a microcosm unto itself. The few villages that exist out here on the exposed plains survive by raiding as much as by gleaning what they can from the plains. They themselves are continually raided by the Nomads Beyond, silent, nameless tribes who strike as if from nowhere and take what they want by force, before vanishing back into the shadows of the volcanic arc. To the very east, in the so-called Outlands, it becomes harder and harder to tell apart those who might claim to be Skovvan from these violent raiders, both in aspect and in culture. Fire and blood is all some of these villagers know, and so it becomes them out there, on the plains. Of the few Outlanders who have found their way to west Skovva, all have been human, and wildly different from their more civilised cousins, often stockier and with strange markings on their faces. The distinguishing feature of the south is its proximity to the sea. The first sight of a traveller upon coming to the mouth of many of the rivers of Skovva is a settlement encrusting the coast, not unlike the tiny swamp-villages up-stream, but obviously larger, with near-polar conditions in places. The inhabitants of these towns rely on fishing to sustain themselves, and so daily life here is centred around supporting this endeavour. Those who do not fish maintain the home or head inland to the great expanses of tundra, wherein are myriad creatures which have long since adapted to living in the cold. The coastal folk hunt these for furs and bones to process into trading goods for the northern merchants, often as luxury clothing and art sought by the people of Treth, in addition to the fruits of the sea, in exchange for whatever they might need to survive. Whilst it has the most dangerous climate of any place in Skovva, it can be said that the hazards of the south are predictable - none who dwell there are foolish enough to underestimate the numbing cold or icy waters. - and so it is the most densely populated region of Skovva. Traditions of the necessary skills to survive are handed down eagerly and freely amongst the coastal folk, and they are amongst the more welcoming people in Skovva. Culture & Society Unsurprisingly, those hardy enough (or mad, depending on whom you ask) to live in Skovva are resourceful and diligent - and that is all that might be said as a general rule for Skovvans. The country is, in its own right, a melting pot of races and societies brought from all over the known world, and so religion, burial customs, and any given aspect of culture one might observe in an individual Skovvan cannot be taken as the norm. In addition, the individual regions of Skovva have their own demands for those who would live there, with obvious social repercussions. More so than Ásaterra, no one race could be considered the dominant race of this land. Humans and dwarves, elves and trolls - all of these rub shoulders in the riverside villages, swamps, and coastal towns of Skovva. In spite of this, elves are less common inhabitants of the southernmost reaches, with many breeds of elf simply lacking the constitution, if not the wit, to stomach the perpetual numbing cold and murky days, and the few patches of greenery are little reminder of home. Warmer, kinder climes appeal more to their soul. At best, a Skovvan is a useful and unpredictable asset to a party. They know their home terrain like no other, be it tundra, swamp, or coarse plain, and can survive there indefinitely where others would quickly falter and die. They are realists by nature, not easily tricked or intimidated by the reality of any situation - yet often this innate cynicism is tempered with both empathy and social appetite. One cannot survive alone in the south for long, whereas those who work together find both survival and comfort. Skovvans are also generally very open-minded. Intolerance of perceived differences with others are a luxury that few can spare when it comes to the daily grind - and, even if such opinions are held, they will certainly not be levied openly. At the same time, to earn respect in the eyes of many Skovvans, one has to be useful. There is no room for mistakes in many of the situations that they face on a day-to-day basis. They also are often cold and develop trust slowly towards strangers; even with a glowing recommendation from a close friend, earning a Skovvan's full trust is not an exact process for an outsider. Moreover, they can be ruthless and deceitful, even within their own communities, harbouring their true feelings for the sake of working together, and being willing to adopt measures considered less than wholesome by other peoples in order to succeed and survive. History of Skovva Unlike much of the rest of the western hemisphere of the world, the exact matter of Skovva's history is not as concrete as one might imagine. Historians of more civilised countries often do not even attempt to reconstruct the past of that country, for it has rarely been politically relevant, and attempts to accurately gather facts are not feasible - for surely the people of Skovva themselves do not know anything that might be considered reliable, let alone care for the scribblings of scholars. What can be said is that no race is commonly recognised as having developed in the land. This may be a surprise only to few, on account of the inhospitable nature of Skovva, but it begs the question of how it first came to be inhabited. Some would point to the overcrowding of the civilised countries and say that many gave up their comfortable homes and came, as refugees, to claim something of their own in the deep south. Others would say that Skovva has been continuously settled, abandoned, and re-settled for centuries by sentient creatures. A few radical scholars, however, go so far as to argue that the Nomads Beyond were the first to settle Skovva, perhaps even an aboriginal race, but were driven out by northern colonists. They are mostly ignored. Whatever the case, the only truly famous war worthy of the name involving Skovva was waged by Ulaidh upon the country's western marches, around the river Dileann. The typical court histories of Ulaidh weave grandiose tales which place emphasis on high ideals and great men, or blaming the Skovvans for the war. It is more likely that the monarchs wanted to bolster their treasuries, given the sudden rise of the upstart nation of Ásaterra and its clash with old Monmouth. Whatever the cause of the war, Ulaidh probed gradually deeper into Skovva, eventually disturbing the territory the more powerful petty lords over the years - these warlords, little better than inflated village elders and bandit chiefs, eventually took common cause and joined their strength to fight the aggressors as the Marchers Defiant. After some years, the war had escalated to the point where the King of Ulaidh himself entered battle, but, in 20 BA, he was slain in battle with this conglomerate. This indirectly lead to Ásaterra claiming all of Ulaidh as its own. The Marchers Defiant quickly dispersed, returning back to its constituent parts, for the prolonged conflict with Ulaidh was damaging trade with Treth, and no individual amongst them had the influence or resources to actually attempt to unite the region under their control. Skovva Today In recent years, a nominal Duchy of Skovva has been said to exist, and does so on paper for the first time in centuries. However, the supposed Duke merely holds the pretence of ruling his country, which is a mess of townships and united villages. The reality is that many individual settlements continue to be their own entities. It is doubtful that the Duke has any more influence over his purported domains than he does over his supper menu. Relations between his tiny court and the actual nations of the world are a mockery of true diplomacy, with his presence at any gathering of notable leaders considered token at best. However, raids on the east of Skovva by the Nomads Beyond have intensified somewhat over the last century, noticeable even by its citizens who usually are absorbed in merely surviving. The motives behind the increase of attacks are now being considered. What if, instead of merely seeking supplies, the raiders seek refuge from something harrowing them? The speculation is such that crude alliances have been struck by the more competent elders of these townships, but no concerted effort has been made thus far to strike out into the Beyond. The resources and motivation for such an expedition cannot be spared at this time.